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Darker

By Simon Clark

£6.99

The bestselling author of NIGHT OF THE TRIFFIDS brings a new terror to humankind.

HORROR HAMMER

Video Scriptwriter Richard Young is looking forward to a week at home with his wife and their little daughter. He thinks it's going to be a pleasant time of barbecues and lazy summer days. It isn't.

IT'S GOING TO BE HELL

Because the stranger who arrives at their home, begging to be driven to the nearest police station, is being hunted. Hunted by something that cannot be seen, cannot be heard - yet which has the power to move across the land crushing flat everything in its path. Stalking - and killing - remorselessly.

Within minutes, Richard Young, his family and the stranger (who is not the innocent victim he seems) are being pursued relentlessly by a malignant occult force that pounds and pulps its vitims like the Hammer of God itself...

Biographical Notes

Simon Clark is a well-established horror writer whose short stories have appeared in various magazines and anthologies. His work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and he has also written prose material for the rock band U2. Simon Clark is also the author of the hugely successful 'Night of the Triffids. The sequel to John Wyndham's classic.

Other details

ISBN:
9780340660607

Publication date:
05 Dec 1996

Page count:
416

Imprint:
Hodder Paperbacks

Readers will relish Clark's uncomplicated cocktail of chlorophyll and human blood — Financial Times on The Night of the Triffids

The hottest new purveyor of horrific thrills currently working on these shores — The Big Issue

Hodder & Stoughton

The Absolution

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Authors:

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Yrsa remains the queen of Icelandic thriller writers. - GuardianAll he wants is for them to say sorry... In the latest novel from the Queen of Icelandic crime, Freyja and Huldar must stop a ruthless killer taking revenge on teenage bullies.The first the police know of the crime is when clips are sent from the victim's Snapchat account, showing her begging for forgiveness. The CCTV at the cinema where she was working show her being dragged into the night by a masked killer. When the body is found, it is marked with a number 2...Detective Huldar joins the murder investigation, bringing child psychologist Freyja on board to help question the murdered teenager's friends. Soon, they uncover that Stella was far from the angel people claim: a relentless bully, she made life miserable for those around her. Freyja suspects this led to her death - but she may be overly influenced by her own childhood. Huldar simply wants to find out if there is a first victim still waiting to be discovered. Then another teenager goes missing, and more clips are sent. Freyja and Huldar can agree on two things at least: the truth is far from simple. And the killer is not done yet.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CoDex 1962

Sjón

Authors:

Sjón

'This is a work of great ambition ... above all it feels like a work of virtuoso narrative for its own sake; an Icelandic 1001 Nights.' The Sunday TimesJósef Loewe can recall the moment of his birth in August, 1962 and everything that has happened since - or so he claims to the woman listening to the tale of his life . . .A love story He begins with his father, Leo, a starving Jewish fugitive in World War II Germany. In a small-town guesthouse, Leo discovers a kindred spirit in the maid who nurses him back to health; together they shape a piece of clay into a baby.A crime story Leo escapes to Iceland with the clay boy inside a hatbox, only to become embroiled in a murder mystery. It is not until 1962 that his son Jósef can be born.A science-fiction story In modern-day Reykjavík, a middle-aged Jósef attracts the interest of a rapacious geneticist. Now, what lies behind Jósef's tale emerges. And as the story of genesis comes full circle, we glimpse the dangerous path ahead for humankind. In this epic novel, Sjón has woven ancient and modern material into a singular masterpiece - encompassing genre fiction, history, theology, folklore, expressionist film, poetry, comic strips, myth, drama and, of course, the rich tradition of Icelandic storytelling.

The Death Knock

Elodie Harper

Authors:

Elodie Harper

'Chilling, intelligent, and highly addictive. Superb.' Will Dean, author of Dark PinesThree women have been found dead in East Anglia. The police deny a connection. TV news reporter Frankie smells a story...Ava knows that the threat is real. She's been kidnapped by someone claiming to be the killer: a stranger who seems to know everything about her.As Frankie follows the case, she enters a terrifying online world where men's rage against women may be turning murderous - and where her persistence might just make her a target. And Ava must struggle not only to stay alive... but to stay sane.From journalist Elodie Harper, The Death Knock is a compelling story of the worst that man can do and the hunt for the truth - at all costs.See what everyone is saying about this brilliant read:'I was enjoying the reading of it so much, I slowed down the number of chapters I read at a time, in order to savour it for longer!' Amazon reviewer'A great read, both thought provoking and chilling.' Goodreads reviewer'A story that pulls you in immediately.' Amazon reviewer'Easy 5* here... a tense atmospheric mystery that is highly addictive.' Goodreads reviewer'A fast paced and intelligent thriller.' Amazon reviewer'Cleverly plotted. Highly recommended.' Goodreads reviewer

Can you hear me?

Elena Varvello

Authors:

Elena Varvello

'Utterly gripped me from beginning to end' Victoria Hislop | 'Move over Ferrante, there's a new Elena in town' Independent | 'There is much beauty and sadness in this slim novel' The Times | 'A novel of crime and darkness that eschews straightforward domestic noir' Guardian **The Times bestseller Longlisted for the CWA International Dagger**In the August of 1978, the summer I met Anna Trabuio, my father took a girl into the woods...I was sixteen.He had been gone a long time already, but that was it - not even a year after he lost his job and that boy disappeared - that was when everything broke.1978. Ponte, a small community in Northern Italy. An unbearably hot summer like many others.Elia Furenti is sixteen, living an unremarkable life of moderate unhappiness, until the day the beautiful, damaged Anna returns to Ponte and firmly propels Elia to the edge of adulthood. But then everything starts to unravel.Elia's father, Ettore, is let go from his job and loses himself in the darkest corners of his mind.A young boy is murdered.And a girl climbs into a van and vanishes in the deep, dark woods...Translated by Alex Valente | Winner of an English PEN AwardLonglisted for the CWA International Dagger Award 2018

The Food Medic for Life

Hazel Wallace

Authors:

Hazel Wallace

As someone who juggles many jobs between being a doctor, a personal trainer and an author, I understand how difficult it can be to prioritise food and eating well. I wanted to create a collection of beautiful recipes that are not only nutritious and great tasting, but super quick and simple to make, using only a handful of ingredients. The Fuel Up section is designed for just that - it is where you will find my recipes for grab-and-go breakfasts, lunches on the run and dinners that take less than 30 minutes to satisfy you after a long day at work! However, I truly believe that when we do have the time to cook a meal, bake some bread and sit down with friends and family to share some food, we should totally embrace those moments. This is where the Power Down section comes in: for when you're not in a hurry, I have included my chosen recipes for lazy weekend brunches, family dinners, breads and teatime treats. This is a cookbook that will help you fall in love with cooking and improve your relationship with food, so that you approach it not only as a source of nutrients, but also happiness, satisfaction and health.Hazel xIncludes more than 100 recipes PLUS:- 10 'no recipe recipes' for emergency snacks + meal prep hacks for maintaining a healthy lifestyle when you're busy- an introduction to Hazel's five store-cupboard saviours, including 10 ways to cook with each one- a key for special dietary requirements including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and low sugar- nutritional advice covering the basics of nutrition, how to meet your 5-a-day and special nutritional requirements for a plant-based diet- features on how to live well for optimum health, with information on sleep, meditation, mindfulness and mindful eating

Jackrabbit Smile

Joe R. Lansdale

Authors:

Joe R. Lansdale

Meet Hap and Leonard, the unlikely detective duo now on screen in the highly praised series starring James Purefoy, Michael K. Williams and Christina Hendricks.'Reading Joe R. Lansdale is like listening to a favorite uncle who just happens to be a fabulous storyteller' Dean KoontzHap and Leonard are an unlikely pair - Hap, a self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough-as-nails black gay Vietnam vet and Republican - but they're the closest friend either of them has in the world. Hap is celebrating his wedding to his longtime girlfriend, when their backyard barbecue is interrupted by a couple of Pentecostal white supremacists. They're not too happy to see Leonard, and no one is happy to see them, but they have a problem and they want Hap and Leonard to solve it.Judith Mulhaney's daughter, Jackrabbit, has been missing for five years. That is, she's been missing from her family for five years, but she's been missing from everybody, including the local no-goods they knew ran with her, for a few months. Despite their misgivings, Hap and Leonard take the case. It isn't long until they find themselves mixed up in a revivalist cult believing that Jesus will return flanked by an army of lizard-men, and solving a murder to boot. With Lansdale's trademark humour, sharp dialogue, and plenty of righteous beatdowns, you won't want to miss Hap and Leonard's latest.

The Mysterium

Jo Tinsley, David Bramwell

Authors:

Jo Tinsley, David Bramwell

'A FANTASTICALLY DIVERTING COLLECTION OF GREAT STORIES... AN IDEAL XMAS PRESENT' Stuart Maconie, 6Music'I ENJOYED IT ENORMOUSLY' Danny Baker, Radio 5 Live'BRILLIANTLY DONE ... ORIGINAL AND DIFFERENT', Dan Schreiber, No Such Thing As A FishA CATALOGUE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY, THE STRANGE AND THE DOWNRIGHT CREEPY...Discover the unexplained mysteries and unsettling oddities of the modern world, from a beach in British Columbia awash with human feet, to the 'tulpamancers' who claim to be channeling the living spirit of My Little Pony. Ponder terrifying thought experiments (can you think yourself to death?), and reflect on life's great questions (was the Garden of Eden located in Bedford?).In THE MYSTERIUM David Bramwell and Jo Keeling (authors of THE ODDITORIUM), present a user guide to the strange and unexplained corners of modern life. THE MYSTERIUM catalogues a host of bizarre, funny and intriguing stories for a post-Nessie generation still fascinated by the unknowable. Drawing on contemporary folklore, unsolved mysteries, and unsettling phenomena from the dark corners of the internet, this book celebrates the joy of asking questions and the thrill of finding answers which stop you dead in your tracks.Featuring a group of men who scared themselves to death, Space's version of the Bermuda Triangle, a cat who can sniff out the dying and the tale of Slenderman, the monster who stepped out of Photoshop and into our nightmares, this fascinating book is a catalogue of the extraordinary, the strange, the mysterious and the downright creepy.Includes a Foreword by Dan Schreiber, comedian and host of the No Such Thing As A Fish podcast.

Crimson and Bone

Marina Fiorato

Authors:

Marina Fiorato

'A rich jewel of a story, full of desire and danger' - Julie Cohen. A dark tale of love and obsession, perfect for fans of The Crimson Petal and the White. London, 1853. Annie Stride has nothing left to live for - she is a penniless prostitute, newly evicted from her home and pregnant. On the night she plans to cast herself from Waterloo Bridge into the icy waters of the Thames, her life is saved by Francis Maybrick Gill, a talented pre-Raphaelite painter - and her world is changed forever.Francis takes Annie as his artist's muse, elevating her from fallen woman to society's darling. With her otherworldly beauty now the toast of London, her dark past is left far behind. But Annie's lavish new life is not all it seems - and there are some who won't let her forget where she came from...'A thrilling tale of love, lust and revenge' The Lady'A captivating gothic blend of mystery and romance' Sunday Mirror'Exquisite...this is historical fiction at its best' - Book Literarti Reviews'Gothic, dark [and] rich with atmosphere' - Louise Loves books'A glorious story of art and passion' - Tea Party Princess'Dazzling' Goodreads Reviewer'Captivating' Goodreads Reviewer

The Legacy

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was

Sjón

Authors:

Sjón

Winner of the Icelandic Literary Prize'An extraordinary and original writer' A.S. Byatt on Sjón Reykjavik, 1918. The eruptions of the Katla volcano darken the sky night and day. Yet despite the natural disaster, the shortage of coal and the Great War still raging in the outside world, life in the small capital goes on as always. Sixteen-year-old Máni Steinn lives for the movies. Awake, he lives on the fringes of society. Asleep, he dreams in pictures, the threads of his own life weaving through the tapestry of the films he loves. When the Spanish flu epidemic comes ashore, killing hundreds of townspeople and forcing thousands to their sick beds, the shadows that linger at the edges of existence grow darker and Máni is forced to re-evaluate both the society around him and his role in it. Evoking the moment when Iceland's saga culture met the new narrative form of the cinema and when the isolated island became swept up in global events, this is the story of a misfit transformed by his experiences in a world where life and death, reality and imagination, secrets and revelations jostle for dominance.

A City Dreaming

Daniel Polansky

Authors:

Daniel Polansky

M is a drifter with a sharp tongue, few scruples, and limited magical ability, who would prefer drinking artisanal beer to involving himself in the politics of the city. Alas, in the infinite nexus of the universe which is New York, trouble is a hard thing to avoid, and now a rivalry between the city's two queens threatens to make the Big Apple go the way of Atlantis. To stop it, M will have to call in every favor, waste every charm, and blow every spell he's ever acquired - he might even have to get out of bed before noon.Enter a world of wall street wolves, slumming scenesters, desperate artists, drug-induced divinities, pocket steam-punk universes, and hipster zombies. Because the city never sleeps, but is always dreaming.

The Arab of the Future 2

Riad Sattouf

Why Did You Lie?

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

In the Month of the Midnight Sun

Cecilia Ekbäck

Authors:

Cecilia Ekbäck

An orphaned boy brought up to serve the state as a man. A rich young woman incapable of living by the conventions of society. Neither is prepared for the journey into the heat, mystery, violence and disorienting perpetual daylight of the far North.Stockholm 1856.Magnus is a geologist. When the Minister sends him to survey the distant but strategically vital Lapland region around Blackasen Mountain, it is a perfect cover for another mission: Magnus must investigate why one of the nomadic Sami people, native to the region, has apparently slaughtered in cold blood a priest, a law officer and a settler in their rectory.Is there some bigger threat afoot? Blackasen seems to be a place of many secrets.But the Minister has more than a professional tie to Magnus, and at the last moment, he adds another responsibility. Disgusted by the wayward behaviour of his daughter Lovisa - Magnus's sister-in law - the Minister demands that Magnus take her with him on his arduous journey.Thus the two unlikely companions must venture out of the sophisticated city, up the coast and across country, to the rough-hewn religion and politics of the settler communities, the mystical, pre-Christian ways of the people who have always lived on this land, and the strange, compelling light of the midnight sun.For Lovisa and Magnus, nothing can ever be the same again.(P) 2016 Hodder & Stoughton

Love & Friendship

Whit Stillman

The Butcher's Hook

Janet Ellis

Authors:

Janet Ellis

***LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE 2016***'A HIGH-FINISH PERFORMANCE' Observer'DARK WEIRD AND GLORIOUSLY FEMINIST' Elle UK'A SHARP EYE AND A SHARPER WIT - A MEMORABLE HEROINE' Guardian'INIMITABLE, INGENIOUSLY BRUTAL... CRIES OUT FOR A COSTUME DRAMA SERIES' Telegraph'A BOLDNESS RARE IN A FIRST NOVEL' Mail on Sunday'A STRANGE, UNSETTLING STORY' The Times'ONE TO WATCH' Guardian'A STORY OF DISPASSIONATE, BLOODY BRILLIANCE' Sunday Express'ONE OF THE HOTTEST DEBUT NOVELISTS OF THE YEAR' Glamour'A GRIPPING, GIRL-POWER STORY' Sun'A CRACKING READ' Cathy Rentzenbrink, Prima'A SPIRITED, DARK DEBUT' Woman & Home'STRANGE, DARK AND UTTERLY MESMERIC' Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites'A MASTERFUL STORYTELLER' Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go'BEWITCHING' Antonia Hodgson, bestselling author of The Devil in the Marshalsea'A TRIUMPH' Erin Kelly, author of The Poison TreeGeorgian London, in the summer of 1763.At nineteen, Anne Jaccob is awakened to the possibility of joy when she meets Fub, the butcher's apprentice, and begins to imagine a life of passion with him. The only daughter of well-to-do parents, Anne lives a sheltered life. Her home is a miserable place. Though her family want for nothing, her father is uncaring, her mother is ailing, and the baby brother who taught her to love is dead. Unfortunately her parents have already chosen a more suitable husband for her than Fub.But Anne is a determined young woman, with an idiosyncratic moral compass. In the matter of pursuing her own happiness, she shows no fear or hesitation. Even if it means getting a little blood on her hands.A vivid and surprising tale, The Butcher's Hook brims with the colour and atmosphere of Georgian London, as seen through the eyes of a strange and memorable young woman.-~-~-~-~-~- 'Do you know what this is?' He holds a short twist of thick metal, in the shape of the letter 'S', sharpened at both ends. I shake my head. 'A butcher's hook,' he says, testing the tip of his finger against each point. 'A perfect design. Whichever way up you use it, it's always ready. One end to hook, the other to hang. It has only one simple purpose.' He stands on a stool and fixes it over the bar above him. It waits there, empty. He climbs down. 'Pleasing, isn't it?'

The Undesired

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

A Game for All the Family

Sophie Hannah

The Art of Baking Blind

Sarah Vaughan

Authors:

Sarah Vaughan

'Attention fans of GBBO - you're sure to love this story!' - New'Delicious . . . friendship, rivalry and exposed secrets, gorgeously told' - Elle'Clever and compelling. I loved this!' Nina Stibbe, bestselling author of Love, Nina***************There are many reasons to bake: to feed; to create; to impress; to nourish; to define ourselves; and, sometimes, it has to be said, to perfect. But often we bake to fill a hunger that would be better filled by a simple gesture from a dear one. We bake to love and be loved.In 1966, Kathleen Eaden, cookery writer and wife of a supermarket magnate, published The Art of Baking, her guide to nurturing a family by creating the most exquisite pastries, biscuits and cakes.Now, five amateur bakers are competing to become the New Mrs Eaden. There's Jenny, facing an empty nest now her family has flown; Claire, who has sacrificed her dreams for her daughter; Mike, trying to parent his two kids after his wife's death; Vicki, who has dropped everything to be at home with her baby boy; and Karen, perfect Karen, who knows what it's like to have nothing and is determined her façade shouldn't slip.As unlikely alliances are forged and secrets rise to the surface, making the choicest choux bun seems the least of the contestants' problems. For they will learn - as Mrs Eaden did before them - that while perfection is possible in the kitchen, it's very much harder in life.***************'Vaughan's engaging writing is packed with brilliant baking tips not to mention delectable descriptions of the food the contestants create. Enjoy' - WI magazine'An extremely enjoyable book with strong characters and intriguing story lines. I loved every minute of it' - Bookbag'5 out of 5. An amazing read. It makes you crave cake and it makes you want to devour the words, enjoying every morsel till it reaches the . . . tear-jerking . . . end' - Random Redheaded Ramblings blog

Crooked

Austin Grossman

Authors:

Austin Grossman

This is the story of the great con game that was the late twentieth century, of American history's worst presidency, of how I learned to lie. It is not history as you know it. There are at least three sides to this story, and I'm telling both of mine. I promise you I will show the same contempt for the historical record that it has shown for me.My name is Richard Milhous Nixon. I swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and I have seen the devil walk.An alternate history, a horror novel, a political satire and a study of what people will sacrifice to succeed, CROOKED is the ultimate inside story of the strange, all-too-human monsters at the heart of American power.